Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698937916723.pdf (South Africa)
Crimes against women in South Africa, an analysis of the phenomenon of GBV and femicide An overview of the prevalence of crimes against women in the country and the conditions that exacerbate GBV leading to femicide.
Stats SA Source: Stats SA: Mid-year population estimates 2018 Sustainable Development Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls by 2030 Target Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation Source: Stats SA: Mid-year population estimates 2018 DEFINITIONS OF FEMICIDE Femicide is generally understood to involve intentional murder of women because they are women.
Femicide is usually perpetrated by men, but sometimes female family members may be involved.

Most cases of femicide are committed by partners or ex-partners, and involve ongoing abuse in the home, threats or intimidation, sexual violence or situations where women have less power or fewer resources than their partner.
Source: Understanding and addressing violence against women, https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/77421/WHO_RHR_12.38_eng.pdf;jsessionid=3CB8AE9E80879B540E0A6DF5888BEF5F?sequence=1 Source: Stats SA: Mid-year population estimates 2018 Approximately 51,1% (30,5 million) of the population of South Africa is female.
South Africa’s population, mid-2020 59,62 million (29,1M) 48,9% Male Female (30,5M) 51,1% EC has the highest proportion of elderly (60+) at 11,4%whilst Gauteng has the highest proportion of Youth and Adults (15-59) Population by age category and province, 2020 Elderly (60+) within each province Children under 15 within each province Youth and Adult LP EC MP KZN NC NW FS SA WC GP Economic Vulnerability SA Women have higher unemployment rates and higher levels of poverty Official Unemployment Rate 30,1% (+1,0 % Point Change Q/Q) Expanded Unemployment Rate 39,7% (+1,0 % Point Change Q/Q) 32,4% SA: 30,1% 28,3% 7,1 million people were unemployed in Q1:2020 An increase of 344 000 q/q 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% 43,4% SA: 39,7% 36,5% 10,8 million people were unemployed in Q1:2020 An increase of 416 000 q/q Expanded Definition includes the following - Official unemployment (searched and available) 7,1 M - Available to work but are/or • Discouraged work-seekers • Have other reasons for not searching 2,9 M 0,8 M 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Q1:2010 Q1:2020 Q1:2010 Q1:2020 Source: QLFS Q1 2020 Black African women are the most vulnerable with an unemployment rate of over 30%.
Black women are the most vulnerable with unemployment rate of over 30%.
OFFICIAL unemployment rate by population group and sex Unemployment Rate by Population Group Male Unemployment Rate By Population Group Female Unemployment Rate by Population Group Both sexes 30.1% Black African 33.8% 28.3% 31.6% Coloured 24.0% 24.7% 32.4% 36.5% 23.2% Indian/Asian 13.0% 11.7% 15.3% White 8.1% 8.0% 8.2% Source: QLFS Q1 2020 In both Q1: 2019 and Q1: 2020, more than four in every ten young females (15-34) were not in employment, education or training (NEET).
Over 8,5 million (41,7%) out of 20,4 million young people aged 15-34 years were NEET.
NEET (15-34 years) by gender 15-34 YEARS 50% 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% FEMALE NEET MALE NEET 45.4% 38.1% 44.3% 37.1% Female NEET Up by 1,1 percentage points Male NEET Up by 1,0 percentage point Q1: 2019 Q1: 2020 Upper-Bound Poverty Line R1227 Lower-Bound Poverty Line R810 Food Poverty Line R561 * Based on April 2019 prices Threshold of relative deprivation below which people cannot afford the minimum desired lifestyle by most South Africans Austere threshold below which one has to choose between food and important non-food items Threshold of absolute deprivation.
The amount of money required to purchase the minimum required daily energy intake Source: National Poverty Lines Money-metric Poverty headcounts in 2015 Poor - 55.5% Non Poor - 45.5% Poor - 40.0% In 2015, more than a quarter of the population were living below the food poverty line Poor - 25.2% Non Poor - 60.0% Non Poor - 74.8% Upper-Bound Poverty Line Provides an unambiguous threshold of relative deprivation below which people cannot afford the minimum lifestyle desired by most South Africans Lower-Bound Poverty Line Provides an austere threshold below which one has to choose between food and important non-food items Food Poverty Line Is the Rand value below which individuals are unable to purchase or consume enough food to supply them with minimum per-capita-per-day energy requirement for good health Source: Living Conditions Survey Females remain more disadvantaged than males consistently recording a higher headcount, gap and severity measures at each point in time; however, the difference between the sexes is narrowing.
80.0 Poverty headcounts by sex (LBPL) e g a t n e c r e P 70.0 60.0 50.0 40.0 30.0 20.0 10.0 0.0 53.6% 48.3% 49.6% 45.6% 38.1% 34.7% 41.7% 38.2% 2006 2009 2011 2015 Source: Living Conditions Survey 2015 39,2% of female-headed households in SA do not have an employed household member.
Households without and employed household member by sex of household head, 2018 LP EC NW NC MP FS KZN RSA GP WC 26.5% 27.8% 24.1% 20.8% 23.3% 20.7% 19.5% 32.9% 48.9% 52.5% 46.2% 44.0% 42.3% 41.9% 41.8% 39.2% 12.9% 28.8% 14.0% 21.7% Female Male Source: Marginal Groups Indicator Report 2018 Nationally, 43% of children lived with mothers only, while one third(33,8%) lived with both parents.
Percentage of children living arrangements, 2018 Lived with neither Lived with mother Lived with both Lived with father WC GP NC MP RSA NW FS LP KZN EC Source: GHS Source: Stats SA: Mid-year population estimates 2018 Experience of violence Source: Governance, Public Safety and Justice Survey 2018/19 One in five (21%) partnered women has experienced physical violence by a partner (Ever Experienced) Experience of violence by any partner, women 18+ years Physical violence 8% 21% Sexual violence 2% 6% Ever Experienced In the past 12 months Source: SADHS 2016 Women who are divorced or separated were more likely than other women to have experienced physical violence or sexual violence (Ever Experienced) Experience of Violence by Marital Status, women 18+ years Divorced/separated 16% Living together Widowed Never married Married Source: SADHS 2016 10% 8% 18% 14% 5% 4% 40% 31% 24% Ever Experianced Physical Violence Ever Experianced Sexual Violence The prevalence of physical violence was greater among less- educated women than those with secondary education or higher.
Experience of physical violence by any partner, women 18+ years by educational attainment 30.7% 21.4% 23.8% 23.0% 8.1% 4.5% 17.3% 12.2% 12.4% 9.6% 7.7% 2.5% No Education Primary Incomplete Primary Complete Secondary Incomplete Secondary Complete More than Secondary Source: SADHS 2016 Ever Experienced In the past 12 months The prevalence of physical and sexual violence decreased with the wealth quintile.
Domestic Violence by Wealth Quintiles, women 18+ years 29% Physical violence Sexual violence In Past 12 Months 11% 4% 2% 2% Ever Experienced 12% 8% 4% Lowest Wealth Quintile Highest Wealth Quintile Lowest Wealth Quintile Highest Wealth Quintile Source: SADHS 2016 Ever- experience of partner violence is highest in the EC for physical violence while NW had highest rates of sexual violence ever experienced Experience of physical violence by any partner, women 18+ years by province Eastern Cape 6.7% North West Mpumalanga Free State 11.8% 7.0% 7.5% Western Cape 4.0% Northern Cape 4.5% Gauteng 8.0% Limpopo 5.1% KwaZulu-Natal 3.1% 14.4% 13.7% 31.6% 29.4% 26.4% 21.4% 21.2% 18.7% 17.7% Ever experienced sexual violence Ever experienced physical violence Source: Governance, Public Safety and Justice Survey 2018/19 Source: VOCS 2017/18 Thank You Source: Stats SA: Mid-year population estimates 2018